Abner johnston



N. 0 T S N H 0 J L MAIL BAG.

No. 269,580. Patel ted Dec. 26, 188 2;

Witnesses Auburn/av N. PETERS. Pholo-Lilhegnpher. Wzuhmgmn. D. c

UNITED STATES PAT NT 'QFFIGE.

ABNER JOHNSTQN, or earner-a es, ASSIGNOR 'ro NELSON s oon, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,580, dated December 26, 1882.

Application tiled September 12, 1882.

T altwhom it may concern Be it known that I, ABNER JOHNSTON, of Bainbridge, in the county of Ghenango and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Mail-Bags, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved tastening for the mouths of mailbags which shall be strong, flexible, and easi- IO ly manipulated, both in opening and closing the bag; and my said invention comprises certain novel combinations of parts whereby the aforesaid objects are efl'ectnally secured.

Figure 1 is a front view, representing mysaid 1 invention. Fig.2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken in the linemmof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken in the line y yof Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detached detail views of certain parts of the apparatus; and Fig. 8 is a front view, showing the upper or throat portion of the bag inverted to illustrate the manner in which the bag may he very readily opened when unlocked. I A representsa series of flat plates, which are 2 hinged or pivoted together, as shown at a, the axes of the hinges being in the same direction as the length of the bag, while the plates themselves are arranged transversely across the tlap B of the bag. Attached by rivets I) to the front of the flap B are plates-G, in the lower portion of each.of which is a horizontal slot, 0, coincident with a similar slot formed in the material of the flap itself. At the upper part of each plate U is a broad-headed 5 screw or rivet, e. Each of the plates A, with the exception of the central one, (indicated at A*,) has at its center a vertical slot, f. The bi cad-headed rivet or screw 6 is passed through this slot in such manner that the lateral por- 0 tions of the head of the rivet passing over the adjacent edges of the slot attach the plate A to the plate 0 in such manner that a vertical movement-that is to say, a movement in the direction ofthe length ofthe bag--is permitted 5 to the plates A. It will be seen that the entire series of plates A, including the central one, 21*, is thus enabled to move up and down.

Each of the plates, A, except the central one, A*, is formed with two vertical slots, 9, in such (No model.)

| manner as to provide on each of said plates a. downwardly-extended tongue, D, at or near the center of which is the vertical slotfal'oresaid. This tongued portion D is re-enforced by wedge-shaped strips, as shown at h. hen the series of plates A are forced upward or outward until the broad-headed rivetsc are brought nearly or quite to the lower extremities of the vertical slots f the tongues D are brought clear of the horizontal slots 0 in the platesOandintheflapB. Securedtothe'upper part of the front of the bag-that is to say, over that portion of the bag upon which the flap is placed and secured when the bag is closedare horizontal staples E, so arranged that when the flap is brought down upon the said front portion of the bag the said staples will pass upward through the horizontal slots 0 in the flap B and the plate Gthereof and project forward beyond the outer surface of the said flaps to such an extent that when the series of plates A are brought inward the tongues 1) will pass into and through the staples E, and consequently secure the flap snugly upon the aforesaid front portion of the bag, the wedge-shaped re-enforces h enabling the tongues to force the flap in firm and secure contact with the said adjacent front of the bag. The central plate, A*, carries a catch, F, which acts in conjunction with a suitable lock, H, so that when the plates A are brought inward to attach the flap to the front of the bag, as just explained, the said catch F, passing into the lock H, will catch automatically in the internal dogs or holding devices of said lock, the latter being attached to the lower part of 85 the flap, and thereby lock the series of plates A in their depressed condition, with .the' tongues D extended through the staples E, and confining the flap to the front of the bag, as hereinbefore explained.

Formed in the flap, at the upper edge of said lock, is a horizontal slot, 0', and provided at the adjacent part of the upper part of the front of the bag is a staple, a, so arranged that when the flap is closed upon the said front of the bag 5 the staple n will pass through the slot 1' in such position that when the catch F is forced toward and into the. lock H, as just explained, the

7 through the slots are securely attached to the adjacent plates 0.

W hen desired, the plate may be provided with a holding device, I, the internal circumference of which is grooved to receive the usual check or addressed card, which latter may be inserted through a narrow slot formed at the lower end oi" said holding device I and behind the catch 1. Inasmuch as the series of plates A, with their tongues D, are brought to and over the staples E by a movement in the direction of the length of the bag, it follows that a very slight movement ot'said plates is sufficientto bring the tongues D through the staples E and the catch F into the lock H to securely close the bag, and that, in like manner, a slight movement only is required to bring the tongues D clear of the staples E and the catch F clear of the lock H when it is desired to open the bag, this opening movement of the plates A being very readily secured by inverting the upper part ot the bag as, for example,is represented in Fig. 4twith a sudden or jerking motion, which throws the said plates A and their adjuncts outward and away from the staples and looks, so that the bag may be very readily openedafter being unlocked. Furthermore, inasmuch as the plates A, including the central one, A, are pivoted or hinged together, with their axes longitudinal with the bag itself, and inasmuch as the lock is placed at the center of the top of the bag, it follows that the said upper part of the bag may be folded or bent around any axis of motion longitudinal with the bag itself with very much greater facility than is the case with the mail-bag fastenings hitherto in use, this folding or bending, in the various exigencies'of service, proving of very material convenience; and, furthermore, because of the peculiar construction and arrangement ofparts, there is no position into which a mail-bag can ordinarily be placed or thrown which will bring any severe strain upon the look, so that the latter, as well as the other portions of the fastening apparatus, are not liable to get out of order.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is A mail-bag fastening composedot' the plates A, including the central plate, A*, hinged or pivoted together on axes longitudinal with the length of the bag, and constructed with the tongues D, having wedge-like outer surfaces, the slotted plates 0, the broad-headed rivets 0, extended through vertical slots in the plates A, suitable'catch, F, and lock H, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set'forth.

ABNER JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

THOMAS E. (JRossMAN, RUDoLF RJILLMAN. 

